Friedman on the Nile

Mohannad sent me this: "Reading today's NYT piece by Friedman, I was struck by a statement attributed to protest signs:  There are signs everywhere asking about Mubarak, a former Air Force chief. Questions such as: “Hey Mr. Pilot, where did you get that $17 billion?” I have not come across the figure $17 billion anywhere. I think that the Arabic illiterate Friedman mistook 17 for 70. Don't you reckon?"